Southern Baptists AKA Great Commission Baptists
The Southern Baptist Convention's task force has released the results of their review of the Convention's name. Here's the piece from Baptist Press:
The task force appointed to study a possible name change of the Southern Baptist Convention is recommending that the convention maintain its legal name but adopt an informal, non-legal name for those who want to use it: Great Commission Baptists.
Jimmy Draper
The name "Southern," task force chairman Jimmy Draper said, is a barrier to the Gospel in some regions of the country. The task force was appointed by Southern Baptist Convention President Bryant Wright.The task force made its recommendation during the Executive Committee meeting Monday night. The Executive Committee will consider the recommendation Tuesday.
The recommendation means that the legal name of the convention will remain “Southern Baptist Convention” and can be used by any church who wishes to use it. But other SBC churches can call themselves “Great Commission Baptists” if they wish.
What do you think of the informal name proposal? I get the idea, not sure how I feel. I get the Southern Baptist name sounds very regional, just undecided on the proposed new name. That said - a focus on the Great Commission in name as well as actions can only be a good thing for the church.
More from Dave Miller of SBC Voices.
On Star Wars and Redemption
There are a lot of things you notice when you watch the Star Wars films. Action, adventure, Jedi, Sith, Good, evil, Ewoks, and a plethora of other fun critters, droids, and characters. What is also present is a six-part tale of redemption.
The entire first half, the prequel trilogy, tells the about the fall of Anakin Skywalker. It shows us a man who has pledged his life to goodness and truth, fall victim to self. Instead of focusing on the goodness and truth, he focuses on himself, rage, pleasures of the world, and power he can possess. By the end, the all consuming goal is to become his own personal god where he can control the power of life and death. In the process, he kills the innocent. He has truly fallen into madness and the dark side of the force.
When introduced to Vader in the original trilogy, we are introduced to him as a villain he has become. He tortures and murders without care. He does what he needs to in order to retain the power that he desires. He appears to be nothing but evil. Then, his son enters into the picture.
At the end of Return of the Jedi, we watch Luke and Vader fight in one of the more epic battles in film. When Luke finally gets the upper hand, he begins to succumb to his rage. He then stops. Calms himself and lays himself down at the mercy of his enemy. He says he will not kill Vader, will not surrender to the dark side. So, the Emperor attacks. Luke does not appear to fight back. He allows the Emperor to attack him. Why? To allow Vader an opportunity to rise, have a reprieve, and hopefully to have reached his soul. Behind the mask, behind the evil exterior was still the good man underneath; so Luke was ready to risk his life for his father.
I am reminded of the words of Christ in John 15:13:
No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends.
But, the story does not end there. In the end, Vader changes. He has a salvation moment where he realizes the error of his ways and suddenly grabs the Emperor to save his son. Vader saves Luke in the end; he returns to the side of righteousness.
Anakin's story is a story of redemption. He falls further than we can ever imagine, but in the end he accepted and understood the truth, and was freed from the chains of evil.
Star Wars reminds us that through Christ - no man is unable to be redeemed. All man can be forgiven of their sins - no matter how severe. Remember, Moses was a murderer; Paul lead serious attacks on the early church before finding Christ; David, the man after the Lord's own heart, committed adultery then directed the death of her husband. The Lord redeemed each of them. The Lord can redeem you, just as Vader was redeemed for his evil.
Luter Interview with Baptist Press
Fred Luter was interviewed by Baptist Press last week to discuss his pending bid for SBC President. Here's an excerpt:
BP: If you are elected, what do you envision as your key emphases or key messages to Southern Baptists? What do you see as greatest challenge to the SBC in the short-term?
Luter: This convention has been one of the top conventions in the world as far as our primary mission of evangelism and discipleship. My goal and vision is that we would get back to being that convention we're known for. Through the years we've kind of gone off-track with some things and that has allowed us to not make evangelism and discipleship our main focus. My prayer is just that we get going back in the right direction, depending on God to help us fulfill the Great Commission and the Great Commandment. That's what He's called us to do and that's what I hope to lead this convention to do during my time as our president.
BP: Even with just your nomination, what message do you hope it sends to the SBC and to the nation?
Luter: The thing I hope it sends to the SBC is that if you're faithful to God and faithful to God's Word, that God will be faithful to you. That's what's happened here. I'm from the Lower Ninth Ward, and Mom and Dad were divorced when I was a kid. But through the 30-some years I've been a believer and the 25 years I've been a pastor, I have been faithful to God, faithful to the Word of God, and faithful to my wife. I just believe God has allowed this [nomination] to happen for such a time as this. It is nothing I was looking for. It was not on my bucket list, so to speak, but I think God ordained this because of the fact that what we're dealing with right now through the convention is trying to make the convention diverse. I think this will speak not only to our convention but to our country and throughout the world that this convention is serious about reaching all people.
BP: Since news broke at last year's meeting that you would consider allowing your nomination as SBC president, what comments by fellow SBC leaders and by friends have been most significant or most encouraging to you?
Luter: They've been saying, 'Fred, it's time. Many of them feel God has just raised me up for this time to speak not only a message of the Word of God to our convention, but to the folk who are not part of our convention about the direction this convention wants to go as far as reaching all peoples. I think this will say to a lot of young preachers across America who are Asian, African American, Hispanic that hey, this convention is not just saying this. They're putting their money to their mouth. This convention is truly open to all people.
BP: Describe the rise in awareness of you by SBC leaders. How did it come to pass that you preached the annual sermon at the Southern Baptist Convention in 2001 when it was last in New Orleans?
Luter: It happened as a result of our baptism record. We started growing as a church and as a result leading our association in baptisms, and from there our Louisiana Baptist Convention. Wayne Jenkins [LBC evangelism director] called one year in the early 1990s. I didn't know him when he called, but I will never forget it. He said Franklin Avenue was first in the state in baptisms and he'd like me to come up and receive an award at the evangelism conference, 'and I'd like you to preach,' he said. After that, Wayne would give my name to different ones and before you know it I would be preaching at different evangelism conferences and state conventions across the country.
Read the whole article. I'm excited about Luter's candidacy and think he has the opportunity to be a powerful voice / leader for the Southern Baptist Convention.
Fred Luter – First Black SBC President?
Pastor Fred Luter has announced that he is running for President of the Southern Baptist Convention. If elected, he will be the first African-American President of the entire Convention. He currently serves as First Vice President, elected in 2011 to a one year term. The Southern Baptist Convention was founded on support of slavery, so to see the church come this far on racial issues is a blessing in and of itself. But above and beyond that, Luter's a powerful church builder. When he took over at Franklin Avenue Baptist Church their membership was down to 65 members - they currently see 7,000 weekly. This is a no small feat and one that can be attributed in no small part to Luter. Here's more from the Word and Way piece on his candidacy:
No other candidates have announced so far. Other potential candidates were judging their chances on whether Luter decided to run, Akin said.
"I'd be very surprised if there were any other substantial candidates," said Russell Moore of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky.
Akin, Moore and others say they are eager to elect Luter, both for his leadership gifts and to demonstrate Southern Baptist acceptance of the changing face of their work.
Luter's church once was a predominantly white Southern Baptist congregation dying on the vine after its neighborhood became increasingly black in the 1970s. Luter, a black street-corner preacher with no previous pastoral experience, became pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans in 1986. The church kept its Southern Baptist affiliation while Luter built it into a major success as a predominantly African-American congregation, and then he led his church in rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina.
Several Baptist congregations around the country tried to recruit Luter as a pastor or co-pastor, Akin said, believing he might be available after Katrina. "He was like Peyton Manning as a free agent."
Luter's stature grew in his decision to remain in New Orleans, Akin added. "You have to have unbelievable respect for a man who made that kind of commitment," he said. "Look at what he did."
Growth in traditional white congregations in the 16-million-member Southern Baptist Convention has plateaued. In recent years the denomination has actively sought to reach out to nonwhites, typically Hispanics, African-Americans and Asians. In 1990, 95 percent of Southern Baptist congregations were white; now the figure is 80 percent, said Scott McConnell of LifeWay Research, a church-related institute.
The last figure from Lifeway is fascinating to me. The church in the past 20 or so years has went from 95% white to 80% white. This is a good thing. An overall church body can not survive forever if it only appeals to one segment of the population. That's the beauty of Christianity - it does appeal to people of all walks of life. On paper, Luter is a great choice for President - his color makes no difference in that point, but it does make his selection historic. I look forward to seeing what he can do...also, I'd love to find audio of him preaching.
Maryland Blogs / Sites
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